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New drug combination brings 1-2 punch against acute leukemia
New drug combination brings 1-2 punch against acute leukemia
Public release date: 16-May-2008
[ Print Article | E-mail Article | Close Window ]
Contact: Sara Farris
sfarris@mdanderson.org
281-467-1337
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
New drug combination brings 1-2 punch against acute leukemia
CINCINNATI, OHIO - Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center have discovered a drug combination that kills leukemia cells
by shutting down their energy source and hastening cell starvation.
In a preclinical study, Lauren Akers, D.O., postdoctoral fellow from the
Children's Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson, found that combining a novel
glycolysis inhibitor, 3-BrOP, with mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, induced more
than 90 percent cell death in human tissue cultures of acute lymphocytic
leukemia. She presented her study at the American Society of Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology annual conference on May 16.
"We already knew that 3-BrOP was effective in preclinical research of
glioblastoma, colon cancer and lymphoma, and most recently acute leukemias"
says Akers, lead investigator on the study. "We also knew that mTOR
inhibitors intensify cellular starvation. This study showed that the two
together have a more powerful impact on treating acute lymphocytic leukemia,
which is the most common childhood cancer."
Glycolysis is a process that turns glucose into energy for cells. Unlike
healthy cells that get their energy for growth from both glycolysis and
respiration, cancer cells are highly dependent on glycolysis. Using the M.
D. Anderson-developed drug, 3-BrOP, researchers inhibited glycolysis, thus
starving the leukemia cells from their energy source while leaving healthy
cells free to get their energy from respiration.
Rapamycin is an mTOR inhibitor that keeps cancer cells from coping with
stress, thus resulting in cell death. When researchers on the study combined
the two drugs, they discovered a synergistic effect.
"We found that a lower dosage of 3-BrOP with rapamycin created the same
results of more than 90 percent tumor cell death," says Akers.
"Theoretically, we believe that patients will better tolerate the therapy by
lowering the dosage of 3-BrOP and combining it with rapamycin."
Other researchers on the study include senior investigator Patrick
Zweidler-McKay, M.D., Ph.D., Anna Franklin, M.D. and Wendy Fang, M.D., all
from the Children's Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson. Peng Huang, M.D.,
Ph.D., from the Department of Molecular Pathology at M. D. Anderson was also
an investigator and was responsible for the development of 3-BrOP.
The team of researchers plans to conduct additional mouse studies, which
could lead to a Phase I clinical trial some time in the future.
###
Public release date: 16-May-2008
[ Print Article | E-mail Article | Close Window ]
Contact: Sara Farris
sfarris@mdanderson.org
281-467-1337
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
New drug combination brings 1-2 punch against acute leukemia
CINCINNATI, OHIO - Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson
Cancer Center have discovered a drug combination that kills leukemia cells
by shutting down their energy source and hastening cell starvation.
In a preclinical study, Lauren Akers, D.O., postdoctoral fellow from the
Children's Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson, found that combining a novel
glycolysis inhibitor, 3-BrOP, with mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, induced more
than 90 percent cell death in human tissue cultures of acute lymphocytic
leukemia. She presented her study at the American Society of Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology annual conference on May 16.
"We already knew that 3-BrOP was effective in preclinical research of
glioblastoma, colon cancer and lymphoma, and most recently acute leukemias"
says Akers, lead investigator on the study. "We also knew that mTOR
inhibitors intensify cellular starvation. This study showed that the two
together have a more powerful impact on treating acute lymphocytic leukemia,
which is the most common childhood cancer."
Glycolysis is a process that turns glucose into energy for cells. Unlike
healthy cells that get their energy for growth from both glycolysis and
respiration, cancer cells are highly dependent on glycolysis. Using the M.
D. Anderson-developed drug, 3-BrOP, researchers inhibited glycolysis, thus
starving the leukemia cells from their energy source while leaving healthy
cells free to get their energy from respiration.
Rapamycin is an mTOR inhibitor that keeps cancer cells from coping with
stress, thus resulting in cell death. When researchers on the study combined
the two drugs, they discovered a synergistic effect.
"We found that a lower dosage of 3-BrOP with rapamycin created the same
results of more than 90 percent tumor cell death," says Akers.
"Theoretically, we believe that patients will better tolerate the therapy by
lowering the dosage of 3-BrOP and combining it with rapamycin."
Other researchers on the study include senior investigator Patrick
Zweidler-McKay, M.D., Ph.D., Anna Franklin, M.D. and Wendy Fang, M.D., all
from the Children's Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson. Peng Huang, M.D.,
Ph.D., from the Department of Molecular Pathology at M. D. Anderson was also
an investigator and was responsible for the development of 3-BrOP.
The team of researchers plans to conduct additional mouse studies, which
could lead to a Phase I clinical trial some time in the future.
###
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